§ 23-18-703 — Authority of commission

Arkansas § 23-18-703

• Jurisdiction: Arkansas
• Title: 23

Text

(a) (1) The Arkansas Public Service Commission may consider, propose, develop, solicit, approve, implement, and monitor measures by electric and natural gas public utilities subject to its jurisdiction that cause the electric and natural gas public utilities to incur costs of service and investments that utilize, generate, or involve clean energy resources or renewable energy resources, or both. (2) (A) The commission may encourage or require electric and natural gas public utilities subject to its jurisdiction to consider clean energy or renewable energy resources, or both, as part of any resource plan or natural gas procurement plan. (B) If the commission approves the use of a clean energy resource or renewable energy resource in the form of a biofuel by an electric or natural gas public utility in a manner that displaces an energy equivalent of fossil fuels, the use of the clean energy resource or renewable energy resource may: (i) Be included as part of the electric or natural gas public utility's energy efficiency or conservation program under the Energy Conservation Endorsement Act of 1977, § 23-3-401 et seq.; and (ii) Apply toward the satisfaction of the electric or natural gas public utility's energy efficiency or conservation goals established by the commission or by law. (3) After proper notice and hearings, the commission may approve any clean energy resource or renewable energy resource that it determines to be in the public interest. (4) If the commission determines that the cost of a clean energy resource or renewable energy resource is in the public interest, the commission may allow the affected electric or natural gas public utility to implement a temporary surcharge or utilize an existing commission-approved cost-recovery mechanism to recover the appropriate costs of such a resource until the implementation of new rate schedules in connection with the electric or natural gas public utility's next general rate filing in which such costs can be included in the electric or natural gas public utility's base rate schedules or for continued recovery through an approved appropriate tariff. (b) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as limiting or diminishing the authority of the commission to order, require, promote, or engage in any other energy resource practices or procedures.

Legislative History

Acts 2007, No. 755, § 1; 2009, No. 164, § 9; 2011, No. 735, § 3.